MEET THE TEAM

Dr. Ashley ClaytonDentist / Owner

Dr. Ashley Clayton, a graduate of Samford University and the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, began practicing in Nashville in 2004, and he purchased his own practice in 2007.

After identifying how effective dental implants could be in treating his patients, Dr. Clayton began to pursue advanced training in implant dentistry.

He logged more than 400 hours of implant specific lectures and training to become one of Middle Tennessee’s experts in the field. His hard work earned him recognition as an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) at the 2016 Annual Conference. Dr. Clayton surpassed the required 300 hours of postdoctoral education in the field of implant dentistry. He successfully performed implant cases, and he passed the AAID’s examination.

After all the hours of intense study, Dr. Clayton is now one of the select few dentists in the Nashville area who can say they’re certified by the AAID.

Dr. Clayton is excited to have extensive knowledge of implant dentistry to provide even better care to his patients going forward.

Marybeth BussellRegistered Dental Hygienist

Marybeth, a native Nashvillian, graduated from Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and she followed that with a dental hygiene degree from Remington College. After stints as a dental assistant (four years) and a dental hygienist (five years) at other practices, she joined Clayton Dental Group in 2013, and we are thankful to have her on board with us!

Marybeth loves seeing positive results. Therefore, she makes it her mission to educate her patients on the importance of oral hygiene. She cherishes the relationships she has developed with her patients, old and new.

Marybeth is a huge fan of water-related activities. When she’s not at work, she’s probably canoeing, camping, fishing or participating in watersports.

She also makes sure to carve out plenty of time for her husband, Kevin, her son and her two stepdaughters. The Bussell household wouldn’t be complete without the pets. Three dogs and two cats certainly make things a little more interesting around the house.

Jessica, one of our talented dental assistants, truly embodies the patient-first mindset we believe in. Her favorite part of working at Clayton Dental Group is getting to know the patients that walk through the door. She loves seeing our patients’ families grow, and she loves getting to see patients grow up. She truly cherishes those relationships.

This Remington College graduate also values the relationships she has built with the other team members at Clayton Dental Group. She is thankful to have relationships that started in the office but developed into healthy friendships outside of work.

In her free time, Jessica looks forward to spending time outside. She likes camping, hiking and traveling with her husband Chad, and she adores her two dogs (Bella and Garrett). She also enjoys crafting, exercising and spending time with friends and family.

Kirstin, our scheduling coordinator, has a great understanding of the business side of dentistry, making her the perfect person for this role. Whether she’s submitting claims to insurance providers after appointments or scheduling things out, Kirstin helps keep us organized.

Kirstin looks forward to talking to patients at the end of their appointments. She likes hearing about their experiences at Clayton Dental Group. Getting to see how happy patients are after they’ve had work done is a huge highlight of Kirstin’s day.

When Kirstin isn’t working, she loves making crafts, enjoying music, shopping and spending time with family. She loves being an aunt to her wonderful nieces and nephews, and she places a big emphasis on her relationship with God.

Rita is our accounts manager, and she does a wonderful job keeping everything at Clayton Dental Group running smoothly. She loves having the opportunity to play a small role in helping patients achieve the smile they have always wanted.

Misty, a Louisiana native, is an absolutely crucial part of our team, and we love the personality she brings and the value she adds to our staff.

Before joining Clayton Dental Group, Misty worked for 12 years in customer service for Southwest Airlines, and that experience has made her the perfect person to serve as our scheduling coordinator.

Misty does her best to ensure the patient experience is as positive as it can be because she values happy patients. She knows that good customer service can go a long way, and she believes every patient deserves to be treated with a high level of care and respect.

Outside the office, Misty places a big emphasis on her faith and time spent with family.

Misty and her husband Yancy have a wonderful son (Tate), a beautiful daughter (Mclain) and two dogs. Misty loves watching her son play baseball and her daughter cheer, and she loves going to church with the entire family.

Karen has been at the practice for more than three decades, and we genuinely can’t imagine Clayton Dental Group without her! Her years of experience would make her an asset anywhere, and we count ourselves lucky to have her on our team every single day. She received her B.S. in Dental Hygiene from the University of Tennessee, and she is our longest serving hygienist.

Karen has cherished the relationships with patients and fellow staff members over the years, but the most rewarding part of her job is that moment when a patient realizes the importance of prioritizing dental health. Karen gets excited when people realize that oral health affects their overall health, too.

Karen enjoys time spent with her husband Joe when she’s not at work, and she loves being a mother to her daughter Stephanie and a grandmother to her granddaughter Charlotte.

Karen has several hobbies/activities she enjoys outside of the office. She finds time for running, cycling, cooking, working in the yard, watching U.T. football with friends and, of course, her precious granddaughter!